Portfolio

Fundraising for Old Friends

Good Monday morning. Just to reprise the offer, if you commission me to paint a special pet portrait of your best friend, I will donate $25 for each portrait to Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary. I’ve posted examples of some of the portraits I have painted, and here are some more. These make wonderful gifts, as well as just a great way to have your friend forever. All I need is a photo, which can be emailed, and contact information. Once received, I’ll work on them in the order...

A Personal Pet Portrait

Here’s a pet portrait I just did that is very personal to me. This is my little girl, Sweetie. I lost Sweetie last October after 11 years together. I found her during a bike ride. She had been abandoned out in the country. She was almost starved, and sick with parasites. We nursed her back to health, and she was my constant companion. I was finally able to do her portrait, which now hangs in my dining room, along with my other friend, Buddy, whom I lost almost three...

Delightful Saturday Class

Every once in a while, I get to do something really exciting. In this case, it was helping a delightful little girl do her very first painting ever. This is Lyla, who did a cute painting of a mama and baby koala bears. She had a lot of fun and the results are just darling. It amazes me how creative young people can be. It also saddens me that too often that creativity is taken away by others. Here’s to everyone retaining that childhood creativity their whole...

Start of New Nashville Skyline Painting

I was walking back from a great performance by the Nashville Symphony when I saw a great night view of the Nashville skyline from the Siegenthaler bridge. I took several photos and knew I wanted to paint the scene. Here’s the beginning, with mostly just the drawing and the lights on the AT&T (or Bat) Building. More on this one as the week goes...

Abstract for The American Heart Association

In addition to the pet charities, I also help other worthy groups, like the American Heart Association. When a dear friend of mine there asked for an art piece to auction for their fundraiser, I was glad to oblige. This is “Embolus,” which is the name of a clot that breaks free and causes a stroke. My vision was the clot impacting everything in life, like a meteor strike. So this painting is my attempt to visualize that, both in movement and symbolism. I sincerely hope it generates a...

All Finished

Here’s the final version. I’ve added some “bling” to his jacket, made the hair a little higher, and touched up a few things. Most everyone, by this stage, was getting the Elvis image. But that’s not the title. After all, if it’s Elvis and canine, well, it “Ain’t Nothing But A Hounddog.” Yep, I went there. Hope you enjoy. But more importantly, hope you come out and support Old Friends Senior Dog...

Getting Close to the End

Here’s the next stage on the dog statue for the Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary auction. I’ve added the sunglasses and worked on making the hair drape over them. I’ve got color on his face and mouth, and more color on the jacket. Remember, this will be part of the big fund raising event at the Omni Hotel in Nashville on October 16, 2015. The dog art is amazing and the cause is wonderful, so start preparing for the event. Got the name...

Start of New Piece for Old Friends

As most of you know, I am honored to be part of the Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary event. I, along with many other notable artists and celebrities, create dog statues, which will be auctioned on October 16, 2015 to raise funds for the sanctuary. This is my piece this year. This is the very start, where I’ve applied modeling paste to create a texture on his head and coat. Stay tuned the next few days while I take you through the process and tell you it’s...

Monday Morning Marbles

Good Monday morning. Hope everyone had a good Easter weekend. I thought I would start the week with a little painting I did. This started as a demonstration for my class at the Factory in Franklin (which, alas, due to management changes, is no more). It went through several versions until I finally hit on this one, which seems to work. It is especially glowing when you see the real thing. Of course, I’m keeping close track of it’s whereabouts because (wait for it) I don’t want to lose...